Turnbull gives Pluto the green light

Updated
Fri 12 Oct 2007, 6:25 PM AEST

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Woodside's Pluto development will be Australia's largest resource project.

Woodside

The Federal Government has paved the way for petroleum giant Woodside to begin the development of Australia's largest resource project on Western Australia's Burrup Peninsula, the $12 billion Pluto LNG operation.

Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the project can proceed providing a number of strict environmental conditions are put in place.

These include a management plan to mitigate the impact of the construction on a sub-sea pipeline on sea turtles, the rare olive python and other threatened marine species.

The company will also need to come up with a plan to protect sensitive marine life like coral from dredging and potential oil spills.

The federal environmental approvals follow similar state environmental conditions.

Woodside has already committed funding for the project and hopes to start construction within the month.

Woodside boss Don Voelte has denied an emergency application by Aboriginal groups to stop the project will impact on construction plans.

The construction of the plant has been dogged by controversy with Aboriginal and environmental groups concerned sensitive Aboriginal rock art will be destroyed.

Woodside says it will do everything to protect the heritage values of the area.